A police officer detains a pro-democracy protester after he was tackled to the ground in Hong Kong on October 15, 2014. (AFP Photo / Alex Ogle) / AFP

Dozens of Hong Kong protesters blocking central streets while rallying for a greater say in their city’s election were pepper sprayed and arrested early Wednesday. In one case, a detained man was reportedly beaten by police in a dark alley.

The police brutality witnessed overnight was broadcast on TV the
following day, leading to public outrage. As a result, the Hong
Kong police officers invovled in the apparent assault on the
protester have been "removed" from duty, the city
security chief announced on Wednesday.

The situation began to escalate when police started removing
barricades installed by protesters at a major road/tunnel. When
demonstrators flooded the area to resist law enforcement,
hundreds of officers responded by trying to push the crowd back,
Reuters reported.

Police physically wrestled with some protesters in order to take
them away, while pepper spray was used on others who declined to
comply with orders. About 45 people were arrested in total.

“There were so many police. They punched people...We are
peaceful,” student Danny Chiu told Reuters.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong television channel TVB aired video footage
of multiple police officers beating a man whose hands were bound.
He was placed on the ground, where he was punched and kicked
repeatedly for about four minutes, the station reported.

The man was later identified by the South China Morning Post as a Civic Party
member named Ken Tsang Kin-chiu. Party leader Alan Leong said
that lawyers “plan to send Tsang to hospital and have his
wounds inspected soon. Leong added that the lawyers who met Tsang
this morning said he was emotional and suffering from
injuries.”

In a photo released Wednesday morning, Tsang’s face looked
bruised, as if it had been struck in several locations.

Independent Police Complaints Council Eric Cheung Tat-ming added
to the newspaper that it is unacceptable for officers to
“beat up people in a dark corner” in any circumstance,
and an investigation could be forthcoming.

Protests in Hong Kong began about three weeks ago, after Beijing
unveiled its plans for the city’s upcoming 2017 elections, in
which residents are supposed to be able to choose their own chief
executive. Under the proposed system, only candidates approved by
Beijing will be eligible to run for office – a decision that has
sparked outrage among those who desire greater freedom when it
comes to electing their leader.

Although the number of protesters has gone down considerably from
the 100,000 or so that took over the streets in early October,
there are still “several thousand” people demonstrating,
according to Reuters.

Despite the protests, Hong Kong’s current leader, Leung
Chun-ying, said there is “zero chance” the
demonstrations will sway leadership in Beijing.

At the same time, Joseph Wong of the University of Hong Kong told
the agency that it is unlikely the protests will end any time
soon.

“I don’t think the protesters, having suffered tear gas,
endured the attacks by the anti-occupy people, I don’t think they
will just surrender unconditionally and leave,” he said.